Electric interpreter



ELECTRIC INTERPRETER G. F. DALY 1,946,900

ELECTRIC INTERPRETER Filed March 22. lso 'z sheets-sheet 2 Illllllllllllx IHIIHIIIIHIIIIII Euh Feb. 13, 1934.

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ELECTRIC INTERPRETER Filed March 22. y1930 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 3.

lwuenoz SORGE F. DALY 11424 @Howie/ Feb. 13, 1934. K G.' F. DALY YELECTRIC INTERPRETER 7 Sheets-sheet 4 Filed March 22. 1930 SvwenozGEORGE F. DALY 33913 1141461110144@ for.

Feb. 13, 1934. G. F. DALY ELECTRIG INTERPRETER Filed March 22. 1930 7Sheets-Sheet 5 -vwantoz GEORGE F, DALY Feb.` 13, 1934. G., F. DALYELECTRIC INTERPRETER Filed March 22. 1930 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Plas. FIG]anw/nto@ 11 a GEORCEEDALY w 424- /o'wwl .i

Feb. 13, 1934. @1a-DALY 1,946,900

ELECTRIC INTERPRETER Filed Maron 22. 1930 v sheets-sheet 7 FIG. 11.96

FIG. l2.

wenoz GEORGE F. DALY .Patented Feb. 13, 1934 ELECTRIC INTERPRETER GeorgeF. Daly. Johnson City, N. Y., assilnor, by mesne assignments, toInternational Business Machines Corporation, New York, N.

poration of New York Y., a cor- Applicatioli March 22, 1930. Serial No.438,092

l? Claims. (Cl. lOl-93) In the tabulating machine art it is thecommonpractice to perforate record cards with statistical data in the form ofperforations. These record cards are afterwards utilized in connectionwith sorting and tabulating machines. In sorting machines the cards areseparated into groups and subsequently the sorted cards may be passedthrough tabulating machine and data derived therefrom and accumulated orlisted or both accumulated and listed. The general practice with thesecards has been to perforate them in punching device wherein the locationof the hole in one of a number of index positions determines the datarecorded. Reading of the card, while easy for an experienced person is amatter of some diiliculty for one who is not familiar with the generalsystem.

Some efforts have been made to provide machines for perforating which inaddition to perforating print a record on a card. Such machines have notcome into general use since it has been diflicult to effect bothprinting and perforating without considerable increase in the powerrequired for operating them.

According to the present` invention it is proposed to perforate therecord cards in the usual manner in any suitable punching mechanism.Subsequently, if it is desired to have certain cards with printed datathereon indicative of the perforatio'ns, the cards are passed throughthe machine illustrated in the present application where they aresuccessively printed with the sensed data as derived from theperforations already made in the cards. This printing may beconventionally disposed in one line at the top of the card andfurthermore, if desired, the machine provides for the transition of theprinting from one field of the card to another. In other words, it isnot only possible to print the characters directly over the perforationsin the card to which they correspond but it is also possible to offsetthe printing with respect to the perforations.

If desired, the machine can be arranged to print characterscorresponding to certain perforated characters and omit the printing ofcharacters corresponding to other perforations.

In some systems it is the practice to completely perforate such fieldsof the cards as are used. Specifically, where a six column field isperforated with a number having four places, the remaining two columnswhich would be the ones to the left may have zero designations punchedtherein. This provides a convenient checking system to insure againstomissions. In the present application it is an object to suppress theprinting of these extra zeros which .form no part of the data and zeroprinting is accomplished under control of a signicant column to theleft. If a printing bar associated with an active column on the card isnot positioned by a whole number perforation in such column it willpresent its zero printing element to the printing line but printingtherefrom will take place only `if a column to the left contained asignificant figure, i. e., 1 to 9.

It is an object of the invention therefore to provide zero suppressingmechanism.

Various Aother objects and advantages of my invention will be obviousfrom the following particular description of one f'ormof mechanismembodying the invention or from an inspection of the accompanyingdrawings; and the invention also constitutes certain new and novelfealtures of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forthand claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a central section of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the machine looking in the opposite directionof Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan section taken substantially o line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1 showing the ribbon mechanismand platen structure.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5--5 of Fig. 2 showing intermittent drivegearing.

Fig. 6 is a detail of zero suppression mechanism.

Fig. 'l is a position view of parts in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a plan detail of parts in Fig. 6 enlarged.

Fig.V 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a section on line 10-10 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a diagram of the electric circuit of the machine.

Fig. 12V is a detail of a type bar shown in relation to the printingplaten.

Fig. 13 is a fragment of a card.

Card feeding mechanism.

In more detail 10 represents the main drive shaft of the machine. Thismay be driven in any suitable manner as by an electric motor throughbelt 11 (Fig. 2) and uni-directional coupling 12. From shaft 10 a worm13 drives worm wheel 14 secured to a shaft 15 (see also Fig. 5) to whichis also secured a box cam 16. A pivoted cam follower arm 17 has a roller18 at one end riding in the cam groove and at the other has connectionto an arm 19 through adjustable rod 20.

Arm 19 is secured to a shaft 21 having arms 22 (see Fig. 1) in pin andslot engagement with pickers 23 mounted for reciprocation in the frameof the machine. This reciprocating picker mechanism is adapted toadvance one record card at a time from the supply stack or magazine 24.

Through gears 25 in Fig. 2 shaft 10 drives a parallel shaft 26 which hasthreaded sections 27 meshing with worm gears 28 on roller lshafts .shaft10 (see also Fig. 5).

29 to drive feed rollers 30 constantly. The card which is advanced bythe picker passes into the bite of the nrst pair of feed rollers 30 tothe left in Fig. 1 and is subsequently guided to the analyzing orperforation reading devices which their rotation to permit printing onthe card in accordance with the preceding analysis.

`This interruption in theadvance of the card is accomplished as follows:Rollers 34 are secured to a shaft 35 (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4) journalled inthe frame of the machine and having attached at one end a gear 36meshing with a gear 37 on shaft 38 on which shaft is also a gear 39adapted to be driven by a mutilated gear 40 on continually l runningshaft 15 (see also Fig. 5). Thus during the rotation of shaft l5 thegear 40 will pick up gear 39 to advance the card to printing positionupon reaching which the toothless portion of gear 40 moves into lockingengagement with gear 39 as in Fig. 2. Aft/af printing has been effectedgear 39 is again engaged for rotation and the card is fed forward to aconveyor (Fig. l) comprising rollers 41 and tracks 42 which convey thecard to a suitable stacker 43 where they are collected. The shafts yuponwhich rollers 41 are secured are adapted to be continually driven byvreason of the gear connections 44 to the shaft 26 as in Fig. 2. It isthe frictionalengagement of rollers 41 with the upper surface of thecard which causes the card to be advanced along the tracks 42.

Printing mechanism For effecting the printing on the record cards asthey successively pass through the machine a plurality of type bars 45are provided. These bars are al1 mounted for reciprocation in the frameof the machine and have connection through a spring pressed pawl 46 to acrosshead 47. Thus, in Fig. l, upon movement of crosshead 47 to the leftthe pawls 46 through frictional engagement with bars 45 will move thebars concurrently in the same direction.

The bars may be arrested at any point in their travel and subsequentlythe pawls 46 will disengage and permit the further movement of thecrosshead 47. Upon the reverse movement of crosshead 47 the projectingends of the bars 45 will be engaged thereby to positively move the barsto restored position. For reciprocating crosshead 47 the followingmechanism is provided.

In Figs. 2 and 3 the crosshead 47 is connected at its ends to blocks 48slidable upon rods 49 and having pivoted link connections 50 to afollower arm 51 pivoted at 52. Arm 51 has a roller 53 cooperating withthe cam groove of a box cam 54 mounted on a shaft A55lconnected throughworm gear 56 and worm 57 to constantly running The arrangement andtiming of the parts is such that the type bars 45 are advanced under theinfluence of pawls 46 synchronously with the movement of a card past theanalyzing or sensing brushes 31.

1f a perforation atLsay the 5 position on the card is under the sensingbrushes the correspondtype representing 5 will be at the printing line.The establishment of an electric circuit through the index pointperforations by the brushes is adapted to energize a magnet 58.

' There are a number of these magnets 58 corresponding to the differentcolumns in the card, each magnet being related to a corresponding typebar 45. The energization of any magnet is adapted to release a pawldevice 59 through a wire 61 and latch 62 and allow it to engage one ofthe ratchet teeth 60 on the bar 45. After pawl 59 has engaged the teeth60 further movement of the type bar 45 to the left in Fig. l isprevented. The type bars 45 are positioned during a passage of a cardpast the brushes. Subsequently these type bars are held during theperiod that a card passes from the analyzing station to printingposition and during the printing operation. After the printingoperations pawls 59 and latches 62 are positively restored in thefollowing manner.V px 100 Secured to shaft 55 is a cam 63 having inengagement therewith the roller of an arm 64 pressed upwardly by aspring 65 acting through an arm 66 on shaft 67. Theshaft 67 has an arm68 to which is secured a restoring plate 69 and 105 \through connectionto a pivoted'arm 70 also actuates a restoring plate 71. In this mannercam 63 is adapted to move plate 69 to the left to restore pawls 59 andplate 7l is moved upwardly to restore latches 62 and their connectedWires 61.

For each type bar 45 there is an individual hammer 72 which is adaptedto strike the particular type 73 on the type'bar which is at theprinting line. The hammers are pivotally mounted on a rod 74 carried bya bar 75 and depend for their actuation upon movement of said bar. Thebar 75 is pivoted on the frame of the machine by means of pintlesco-axial with rod 74 and has springs 76 biasing the bar in a clockwisedirection in Fig. l. To the middle of bar 75 is pivoted I a cam followerarm 77 bifurcated to straddle shaft 55 and having a roller incooperation with a cam 78. Fixed to one face of the cam 78 is a cammember 79 which cooperates with a projection 8O of the cam follower arm77.

As the cam 78 revolves, by virtue of the shaft 55 being driven in themanner previously described, it cooperates with the arm 77 through itsfollowerroller, gradually retracting the hammers 72 in acounterclockwise direction against the tension of springs 76. As theroller leaves the high point of the cam, member 79 engages theprojection 80 and upon continued rotation of the cam the projection 80drops from the member 79 and the springs 76 thus released turn thecommon bar 75 in a clockwise direction to swing the hammers 72 againstelements 73 thus effecting printing.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 4,81 designates a printing platen journalled inthe frame of the machine and adapted to be turned by frictionalengagement with the passing card to prevent excessive wear at any oneplace. The inking ribbon devices are of conventional form and require nodetailed description.

The ribbon 82 is guided along the platen 8l as in Fig. 4 where a seriesof plates 81a (see also Figs. 1 and 12), are shown located between eachof the columns of printing elements 73. The upper edges of the platesserve to guide the card 15@ Circuit diagram In devices of this sort itis also necessary that the circuits through the' index pointperforations in the card to magnets 58 be interrupted before .thebrushes leave the perforations .n order to prevent arcing at thebrushes. To this end a commutator 88 is-provided n'Figs.-3 and 11 withgear connection to'shaft 55 and having insert segments 89 therein.

These segments 89 are adapted to bridge in suc-v cession a pai-rof.brushes 90 just after the card brush makes contact and hold suchbridge until the brushhas left the perforation. The circuit through thehole in. the card follows:

From line 91 through card lever 92, wire 93, brushes and segments 89,wire 94 to common' contact roll 32, brushes 8l, plugs 95. plug w.res 96,plug 97, magnets 58, switches 98, wire 99, wire to other side of line101.

A set of switches 102 is provided which when switches 98 are openedconduct the above circuit from magnets 58 through switches 102, wires103, wire 104, cam contact 105, wire 100 to line 101. Cam contact 105'iscontrolled .by shaft 55 and is timed to open just before the zero indexpoint on the card arrives at the sensing brushes and to close just afterthis index point has passed the brushes so that the occurrence of aperforation in zero position would not be analyzed to control magnet 58in the columns in which switches 98 were opened.

Referring to Fig. 13 it will be noted that the zero'index position ofthe card is also used in certain cases to represent the number 10, aswhen a date is recorded. The elements 73 in Fig. 12 are arranged tosuccessively present themselves in printing position, in the orderindicated, synchronously with the passage of the corresponding indexpoints on the card past the sensing brushes.

it is quite obvious therefore that if a perforation in zero positionwere permitted to control type bar magnet 58 the numeral 10 would beprinted. Hence in the columns other than those in which 10 isrepresented the switches 98 will be moved to open position and magnets58 associated therewith will not interrupt their respective type bars.Such bars, unless otherwise interrupted in their advance as hereinafterset forth will present a dummy element 73a in printing position. Thiselement 73a has the usual type element spring structure of elements 73.It is obvious that the cam contact 105 may be timed so as to open dur-`ing the passage of any other index point position by the analyzingbrushes. rllhe timing may also be altered to prolong the period ofopening of contact 105 i. e. during the passage of more than one indexpoint by the brushes.

Printing of zeros will be effected under control of a significant figurein a predetermined column as follows.

Zero suppression in Figs. 1, 6 and 7 a seriesof members 110, one foreach column, are pivoted on a rod 111 and held in normal, zerosuppressing position as in Fig. 7 by a spring pressed latching bar 112.Cooperating with the members is an indexed strip 113 (see Fig. 3). Whenany member 110 is rocked counterclockwise as in Fig. 6, it advances aspring pressed lever 114 pivoted thereon at 115. 'Ihe lever 114 has anarm 116 projecting under the lever of next lower order as in Fig. 8.A Ifthe free ends of lever 114 rise into a recess or slot 117 in the typebars 45 when in the position of Fig. 7, these bars will move to a pointwhere the dummy element 73a of Fig. 12 is presented to the printingposition, but should the levers 114 be held out so that the ends do notpassinto the recesses 117, their free end will be in the path ofstops.118 and the bars 45 will move to a point where the 0 element 73 ispresented to the printing position. Bar 112 is provided with side arms119 to permit release of members 110 for setting thereof.

With all the members 110 in the position of Fig 7, zeros are adapted tobe printed across the machine to the left of any significant figure. Therocking of any member 110 will interrupt the repetition of zeros at suchpoint. The functioning ofthe V'arious parts may best be explained inconnection with a specific example.

For instance 'in Fig. 13, in all columns except the one containing themonth designation of the date, the corresponding switches 98 in Fig. l1will be in open position. This, as we have already seen, will preventthe reading by the sensing brushes of perforations in zero index pointposition of such columns. Considering now the field of the card headedAmount, the members 110 associated with the first column to the left inthis field and the first column following the field to the right, namelythe Mo. column will be movedto the position of Fig. 6 (see also Fig. 8).This adjustment will prevent the carrying of zeros into the Amount fieldfrom the left and will interrupt passage of zeros to the field adjoiningit on the left.

Fig. 10 shows the relation of levers 114 of the first and second columnsof the field wherein the first column lever has been moved to the leftwithout moving out of controlling engagement with the arm 116 of thenext lower order, so that if the first lever 114 is held depressed byreason of its associated type bar being stopped at a significant figureall the levers 116 to the right will be held depressed to the extent ofthe field. In Fig. 9 the lever 114 of the first column in the next fieldwill be to the left as shown and its arm l 116 will lie under a notch120 in the lever 114 to its left. This relation of the parts as isreadily understood prevents the depression of lever 114 to the leftinfiuencing the lever 114 on its right. In an identical manner thecolumn to the left of the Amount" field in Fig. 13 is prevented fromexerting an iniiuence over columns in the field. By way of furtherillustration, consider al single entry in the units column of the Amountfield and zeros punched in the three remaining col-i umns. These threezeros not being sensed by the brushes, their 'associated type bars willmove to present the dummy elements 73a to printing position, and onlythe units column will stop its bar to print the particular item enteredtherein.

Referring now to the circuit diagram '(Fig. 11) certain of themechanical parts are lshown in a diagrammatic manner in this View. Inthis figure M is the driving motor which by belt and pulley connectiondrives the main drive shaft 10 of the machine. This shaft through thegearing described drives the picker devices, which advances the recordcards one at a time from thestack 24 through the feed rolls and past thecooperatingv brushes 31 and contact roller 32. At such times when thecards are passing the brushes the usual card lever is pressed up by thecards thus closing card lever contacts 92.

Io start the machine into operation the operator first closes main lineswitch 121. Thereupon start key y122 is depressedwhich upon the closureof its contacts establishes a circuit from line 91 through start key122, Wire 123, motor relay magnet 124, motor M to other side of line101. The energization of the motor causes the feeding of cards to closethe card lever 92 and energization of card lever relay magnet 125through a circuit from line 91, card lever contact 92, wire 126, magnet125, wire 127, Wire 100 to line 101. This closes the relay l25a whichtogether with relay 124a establishes a holding circuit for the motorMfrom the line 91 through stop key contacts 128, relay armature 125a,relay armature 12ia, wires 123, magnet 124, motor M, back to line 101. Acam contact 129 is provided to hold this circuit during the intervalbetween cards when armature 125a will belopen and the circuit followsfrom line 9i, contacts 129, wire 130, relay armature 124e, wires 123,through motor M as before. Contact 129 also serves to take the arc fromthe relay 125er with which it is in parallel.

If it is desired to' print in the corresponding columns in which theperforation has occurred, plug connections such as 96 may be providedconnecting plug sockets 95, 97 in corresponding columns. If it isdesired to offset the printing the plugging connections may be arrangedfrom plug sockets 95 to other sockets 97 out of alignment therewith.

It will be understood that if it is desired to suppress printingentirely of the data sensed by any particular group of brushes, it isonly necessary to entirely omit plug connections in which case therewill be no circuit` established to the magnets 58 and the associatedtype bars will move to blank position.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamentalnovel features of the invention as applied to a single modification itwill be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changesin the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operationmay be made by those skilled in the art without departing from thespirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore to be limitedonly as indicated by the scope of the following claims:

I claim:-

1. A printing apparatus comprising means for successively feeding aseries of perforated cards having index points in a column, means forsuccessively reading the index points of a column in each passing card,means for printing corresponding printed records on each passing cardindicative of the perforations therein and means for suppressing at willthe printing of records from certain index point positions in a cardcolumn while printing from other index point positions in the same cardcolumn.

2. In a printing apparatus, a plurality of type elements, means forpositioning a type element in zero printing position under control of atype element of higher denominational order and means for rendering suchzero positioning means ineffective. l

3. In a printing apparatus, a type bar, a member carrying a stop adaptedto stop said type bar in zero printing position, and means operable atwill to move said member and stop out of cooperation with said type bar.

4. A printing apparatus comprising means for successively feeding aseries of perforated cardshaving index points, means for successivelyreading the index points in each passing card, a type carrying memberwith means for moving it successively into a plurality of printingpositions, means controlled by said reading means for selectiveiyarresting the movement of said member in any printing position, means tocause printing upon said passing card and means for selectivelysuppressing the operation of said arresting means in any index pointposition of a column of a card.

5. In a machine of the class described, a printing platen, type barscooperating therewith, means for feeding a record card between saidplaten and type bars, and means controlled by the movement of the cardto cause rotation of said platen.

6. In a machine of the class described, a printing platen, an inkingribbon therefor, means for feeding a card into printing positionrelative to saidv platen` and means comprising. a series of membersadapted to support the card in printing position, and having recessestherein to support said inking ribbon.

'7. In a record controlled machine controlled by records having index'points arranged in columns, means for setting a printing device normallyadjusted under control of all the index points in a particular column,and selective means whereby said printing device is adjusted undercontrol of either all the index points or ineiiective with respect tocertain index points in the same column.

8; In a printing apparatus, having a plurality of type bars, meansassociated with each bar and controlled by the position thereof tointerrupt the next `adjacent; type bar in zero printing position andmeans operable at will to selectively adjust said interrupting means toprevent control thereby of the next adjacent type bars.

9. In a machine of the class described, sensing Ymeans for readingperforations in record cards having index point positions arranged incolumns, circuits completed by said sensing means under control ofperforations in any index point positions in a record card and meansrendering the sensing 'of certain index point positions ineffective to`control said circuits. Y

10. In a machine of the class described, sensing means for readingperforations in record cards having index point positions arranged incolumns, circuits completed by said sensing means under control ofperforations in any index point position in a record card and means forselectively rendering the sensing of certain index point positions in acard column ineffective to control said circuits.

11. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of arecord card having index point positions in columns, an electriccircuit' initiated under control of a perforation in an index pointposition of a column, a plurality of differently timed return circuitsfor said initiated circuit, and meansfor selecting one of said returncircuits to control the completion of the circuit initiated by saidperforation.

12. Inv a card controlled device of the class described adapted to becontrolled by record cards having index points in columns, means foranalyzing a plurality of the index point positions in a plurality ofcolumns and .settable means for rendering said analyzing meansineffective with respect to an index point position in a column.

GEORGE F. DALY.

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